Guns

I've never owned a gun, and I hope our society never devolves to the point where I need one.

Still, I'm not entirely optimistic.

There are many scenarios where I can imagine civil order breaking down. It does happen.

For example, after Hurricane Ivan in the Cayman Islands, civil order faltered.

The fundamental issue is this: authority must have the consent of the governed. Even on a small island with a surprisingly large police force, officers are vastly outnumbered by civilians. In "black swan" events like Hurricane Ivan, they can easily be overwhelmed.

I've conducted several psychologically extreme experiments to see what it would take for people to recognize the existential threats they actually face. (See police for more.)

These experiments have taught me a lot—mostly about the weaknesses, but also a few strengths, in our current systems. Why would I bother? Who am I to ask such things? “Who the hell are you, Eliot?” is a fair question.

That's something I'm still figuring out myself—others have theories, and so do I.

But let’s get back to guns. Have you ever heard this phrase?

If you outlaw guns, then only outlaws will have guns.

Now consider this: If you outlaw mRNA technology—the kind civilians would need to protect themselves against engineered viruses—then, again, only outlaws will have it.

There are already places where medical technology is largely deregulated, such as China and Mexico.

I'm sure they already possess better tech than the West.

The only true defense against human-designed viruses is a robust network of countervailing technologies—where everyone has access to anti-virus recipes. In other words: vaccines. A vaccine is essentially anti-virus technology.

But this raises a critical question:
How can you trust that a vaccine recipe you receive is truly safe—something you can trust?

That is where ultra secure middleware comes in. This is my contribution to global safety.